"Now, don't go to being angry with me, Athalia." And she opened the door a little way, and looked out. She had slipped on a wrapper, and slipped off the night-cap. What is there in a night-cap, or night-gown, that a lady should be ashamed to be seen in it? "What does it mean, Jeannette?" "Oh, now, don't go to being angry, Athalia, don't. Indeed I could not help it, I was so lonesome after you went away--only think of staying here all alone." "Shame on you, Jeannette. And so because you were lonesome, you have taken cousin Charles to sleep with you." "Yes; why not?" "Why not! why, Jeannette?" "Why, Athalia, we are married. You don't think I would do it if we were not, do you?" "Married! ha, ha, ha! Come in Walter, you can come in now. We are all married folks together. Ha, ha, ha!" How her laugh did ring. She was anything but angry. "Why, Athalia, you are only joking." "No. I am in sober earnest." How Jeannette did laugh, and hug, and kiss Athalia; and then she ran to the bed, and there was a "kiss in the dark." "Come, Charley, get up and see the bride. Come, we are all married folks together." "Oh, Jeannette, we must not carry on so with Walter now." "Why not? Are we not all married? If we cannot carry on a little now, I don't know when we should." "Yes, but--" "What?" "Walter's father is dead." "Oh, dear! don't say that." "I must; it is true. And Walter must stay here to-night; how shall we fix it?" "Oh, that is very easy. There are two matrasses on the bedstead; we will lay one down here--the bolster will do for pillows--there are some nice clean sheets, and a spread. We will just take that side curtain and turn it round, and pin it to the window curtain, and then you see how easy it will be to have two beds and two bed-rooms. You and I will sleep on the floor, and Charles and Walter shall sleep on the bed." No; that would never do. Charles and Walter would both sleep on the floor, and their wives should sleep where they always had, together on the bed. That the girls would not listen to. They were their guests, and they must sleep on the bedstead--that was the state bed--the bed of honor--Walter had never slept on the floor in his life. Then the men put in their argument, and thus the question stood, until it seemed likely that both beds would remain unoccupied. Finally, it was settled by "compromise." Charley whispered Jeannette, and Jeannette answered aloud, "Why not? So we will. Husbands and wives should sleep together. Always together. What business has a man sleeping with anybody else?"--with another woman she thought. So it was settled how they should sleep. Then there was another contention where, that seemed likely to be as interminable as the first. Finally, Athalia settled it. She took Walter by the arm and said, "Come," leaving Jeannette and Charley with the light, "because they were married longer and were more used to it."